We went to the platform for princess Parola's speech.

A large crowd had gathered. It was about 1500 people that attended the announcement!

On top of the plateau stood an old man dressed in fancy clothes. He took out a large piece of paper and proceeded to read it out.

[Old man: "We are today gathered here to listen to the farewell speech of her majesty, princess Parola to her father, King Alfonce Aldrake. His highness, lord Hiro will also be speaking a few words of farewell."]

Again this Hiro character... I still have no clue who he is...

The old man left the platform, and knights clad in white armor entered. Their helmets adorned dragon heads, the emblem of Thelfheims royal family.

Behind the Knights, a Man appeared. He was roughly about 23 years old, tall, and athletic-looking. His clothes were those of an upper noble. His hair dark-brown like the earth itself. But the tips of the left side of his hair were bleached in a ghostly white. Not only was his hair different on the left side of his face, but a fierce scar dug itself through his skin and over his aqua eye. He was a fine-looking man, but there was something eerie about him. For some reason were his eyes closer to the ones the elves have, but his physique and other features were definitively human.

The crowd began to cheer the moment the youth entered the scene.

[Crowd: "LORD HIRO!!!"]

So this is this Hiro person.

Another person made her entrance right after.

Clad in an elegant snow-white dress was probably the most beautiful person this kingdom had to offer. Light blonde hair shining in the sun. Eyes blue like the Kraken-Sea and lips like peaches was Parola, the princess of this nation.

Auru's eyes sparkled as the princess entered, but mine widened as the man called Hiro opened his mouth, and his eyes met mine. Not only were his canines horrifyingly sharp, but the words he was about to speak were soul-crushing.

[Hiro: "I would like to thank you all for coming here, especially you,

I-G-N-A-T-I-U-S ]

A cold shiver ran over my back.

[(whispers) "We need to run. NOW!"]

I grabbed Auru and Grinla by the hands and began to drag them away behind me, but I still felt a piercing glare locked to my neck.

[Hiro: "No need to run. It's not like you'd get away either. You see, with my *Authority*, I can see your next move. And It seems like you are a lot weaker than you were before. In your current state, you have no chance of escaping."]

*Authority*. To put it simply, it is the peak state your mana can achieve. Since mana is also needed to boost your physical ability, some *Authorities* are similar to ultimate punch, cut, or extreme magics, but some are passive.

For example, my *Authority* was the [Authority of Time], which allows me to temporarily stop time for things around me, speed myself up, make me think faster, or slow down enemies. I can also mess with the age of things, but doing so exhausts my mana instantly.

Sadly I am currently unable to use my *Authority*... I believe it was also sealed within one of the mirror's pieces.

Another splendid example of an *Authority* is the Ice Magic of the Northern Lord, The Dragon Glacius.

(refers to the ice-dragon mentioned in chapter 7)

Alright then, back to the present.

I didn't listen to the words of that man Hiro and ran for my life with the girls in tow.

Suddenly Auru pulls her hand back and looks at me with frightful eyes.

["Auru, we can't stop, they're gonna get us."]

[Auru: "What does he mean with Ignatius, and why do we need to run?"]

["I'll explain later, let's get out of here first! That man is not who he seems to be."]

FUCK! I forgot that she doesn't know...

I grabbed Auru's hand firmly and fulled her along.

We ran along the main road for what felt like an eternity, then when we finally reached the city gates, a large group of soldiers had blocked the way.

[Soldier A: "Don't let them get away!"]

We rushed towards the barrier of soldiers.

["GRINLA, EARTH WALL!!!"]

[Grinla: "Roger that!

Manibus Matrique Terrae deberi; exsurge in gloria tua"]

A gigantic wall of stone shot out of the earth, pushing the soldiers out of the way. Some soldiers were lifted into the air and died from the fall. Others were smashed between the walls of the city gate and the stonewall.

Nice! Only 10 left.

We quickly approached the remaining soldiers.

[Soldier A: "Be careful!"]

I dashed right in front of Soldier A, and with a spin, I beheaded him in one clean swipe.

[Soldier B: "CLOSE THE GATE!!! DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!"]

The portcullis of the gate was released, and with a loud bang, our way of escape was blocked. Some of the soldiers regained their consciousness and surrounded us.

This is the worst.

A big, brolic knight towering over 2 meters entered the battlefield.

[Soldiers: "YEAHH!! IT'S LORD ZUKRA!! NOW WE CANNOT LOSE!!"]

The presence of that man filled the eyes of the soldiers with courage.

[Zukra: "Ahaha, It's been a while, Ignatius-"]

["Wait, who are you again?"]

[Zukra: "It doesn't matter if you don't remember, because, with the power bestowed upon me by our lord and savior *Nox*, I will take your head."]

(Nox is one of the gods, which the *Church of the Nine* worships.)

Zurka lifted up his large polehammer and took on a fighting stance.

[Zurka: "This will be your end, demon!"]